Macro photography is fascinating and it reveals a lot of hidden details of the natural world and of manmade objects, that wouldn't be seen otherwise. When it comes to macro photography, lighting is very important. Although a lot of photographers make use of artificial lighting setups to capture macro images both indoors and outdoors, natural lighting is always the best option and will yield the most beautiful, natural looking images.
When it comes to natural light, depending on the location and subject, the right light needs to be chosen. Soft light that illuminates the subject rom the side at an angle can be a great choice for macro photography. Learning how to use available natural light can go a long way in capturing stunning macro photographs. Here are 25 macro photos that are captured using natural light.
Artificial lighting is an investment and not many photographers want to invest in additional accessories or take the extra measures in setting up the scene with the desired lighting. Natural day light is always available and learning how to use it creatively, even under tricky light situations is a skill. If you are feeling stuck with using natural light all the time in your photography, we would recommend you to check out this course “Mastering Natural Light” by Photzy. It has over 3 hours of educational content that includes multimedia lessons, case-studies, diagrams, exercises and more that will help you to master natural light.
Editor's note: As someone who does quite a lot of natural light macro photography in my own backyard, I will say that it is worth investing in a reflector that can also act as a light dispersal device. Usually the white reflectors you can buy in most camera gear stores will suffice for this, but it's a great way to get even lighting on your subjects, which is great for things like flowers and bugs. You'll find that harsh light is going to be your enemy for these types of shots, so it's very much worthwhile. If you can't afford a cheap reflector, then usually something like white cardboard will do well as a reflector. The point being, you need to even out that smooth light to get shots that look like these examples.
When talking about natural light for photography, people often settle down for the most glorious golden hour and sometimes the diffused light on overcast days. This makes some photographers believe that other lighting situations are not ideal for photography, which is not true. Check out this course “Mastering Natural Light” by Photzy that talks about the role of light in photography and also where you will learn why there is “No' bad light for photography.
When we hear about natural light for photography, we immediately think that shots need to be captured outdoors in order to use natural light. In fact, windows are great sources of natural light indoors and the light coming through it at different times of the day can help to capture varying moods. This course “Mastering Natural Light” by Photzy goes in depth into the fundamentals, understanding of natural light and working with it, important relationship between natural light and post-processing and a comprehensive guide to the different kinds of natural light.
Further Reading
If you're in any way into photography, then collections like these will have you wanting to get out immediately and try to capture some photos with the gear you have, and it's a great way to start. Here are some other further reading ideas that you might want to get into in order to ensure the best chance of success for your natural light macro photography session:
